Protein Ice-Cream
Ingredients:
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- 1 scoop (30 grams) protein powder (I prefer Jay Robb’s rice protein powder)
- 1 TBSP dark cocoa powder (optional)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 packet stevia (I prefer NuNaturals brand)
- 1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
- Pinch of Celtic sea salt
- 1/3 tsp xanthan gum*
- 1/2 tsp guar gum*
- 17 – 18 ice cubes (225 grams worth or 7.9 oz)
*I use the Bob’s Red Mill brand of xanthan and guar gums. If you can’t find them in your area, click here to order online, and you can use the code EME542 to save $5 on your first order. Keep in mind you only need to use a little at a time, and a bag of each will last you a while. So worth the investment!
Directions:
Blend all ingredients except ice in high-speed blender until well blended. Then add in ice 1 handful at a time and blend…unless you have a Vita-Mix. With a Vita, just throw all the ice in at once and tamp away. 
Troubleshooting/Other variations:
I’ve gotten many emails regarding protein ice-cream disasters, and before you try it, I have several tips to share:
1) Not all protein powders are created equal. First off, make sure you like the taste of your particular powder. If you don’t, then you won’t like the ice-cream. Also some protein powders already contain either xanthan or guar gum themselves, and so you may need to adjust the amount of gums you add. If you end up with a gloopy mess, then something went wrong.
2) I always use BOTH gums. Xanthan thickens the ice-cream, and guar gum makes it creamy. So, if it’s too thin, add more xanthan, and if it’s too icy, add more guar. It may take some trial and error, but you when you get it right, the texture should resemble soft serve ice-cream.
2)You don’t have to use protein powder. Instead of the powder, try adding a frozen banana or any other frozen fruit, but again, keep in mind you might have to adjust the gums. Often times, instead of protein powder, I’ll use 1/2 frozen banana and 1 TBSP cocoa powder or hot chocolate mix. So yummy!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqLtEXDUysQ]
{ 91 comments… read them below or add one }
what do the gums do??
Tosha, Deb recently did a post about the gums: http://smoothiegirleatstoo.blogspot.com/2009/11/why-i-use-xanthan-and-guar-gums-in-my.html. I use them for the same reasons she does. They turn my smoothies into instant “ice-cream” as they are natural thickeners. LOVE THE GUMS!
Heather- you are my hero!! I just made this today and I was in heaven. In fact I’ve decided I want it in a peanut butter jar for my birthday instead of cake! Thanks again!
April, Just stick a candle in in your protein ice-cream. Perfect.
this looks soo good! my blender is broken, do you think i could put it in a food processor??
and do you think Chocolate Amazing Meal would do the trick??
Maggie, Not sure if it would work in food processor, but definitely worth a try. I’m assuming Chocolate Amazing Meal would work, but I’m not the one to really ask. Blech – don’t like that stuff.
In answer to Maggie’s question about the chocolate amazing meal…I used chocolate Amazing Grass as a substitute for cocoa powder in a recipe for ChocolateCoveredKatie.com’s fudge babies, and it worked beautifully.
How many servings is this? Seems like one, but I’m not sure.
Betherann, It makes 1 HUGE serving. Most normal people would probably eat only half, but ice-cream holds a special place in my heart and my belly. In other words, I can eat a lot of it.
Does it freeze/store well?
Betherann, Never tried freezing it. I’ve always finished off every batch.
Just made some, except with chocolate Amazing Grass: Kidz Superfood instead of protein powder, and some dark chocolate chips thrown in. YUM! Thanks!
Oops. Just saw this. So glad you enjoyed!
Just wondering, would agar agar work the same as the Gum? It is a gellatin type thing Ive used in CCV’s Pudding recipes..
Annie, Never tried an agar agar ice-cream. I’ve only used it in puddings. It would probably work if you made a pudding and then froze it maybe? I don’t know…the gums are a lot less work. Just throw them in the blender.
Thanks for the responses! crisis averted. i ordered a vita, so i will definitely be testing protein ice cream when i get it. it seemed like the only solution! I can hardly wait.
Maggie, Awesome. You will LOVE your Vita!!!!
I am so anxious to try this! Roomer has it that *santa* is bringing me a Magic Bullet for Christmas… do you imagine the blender application on this would work? I have a regular blender atm, it’s some old contraption from the 80′s that really umm does work haha. Also, would regular salt work in place of Celtic Sea Salt? Thank you for your time, and the great recipe inspirations!
Julia, Hmm, not sure as I’ve never used a Magic Bullet. I think it should work as long as it blends the ice well, and yes, you can always sub regular salt in place of Celtic Sea Salt. Let me know if you try it. Merry Christmas!
thanks for the feed back, I think i will have to order it off the website. it is no where to be found. I am a Amazing Grass girl, but it is crazy expensive right now! $44.99 for 15 svgs!!!
Have you tried the chocolate or strawberry Jay Robb Rice Protein??
Maggie b, Love the chocolate rice, but Jay’s strawberry tasted a bit funky. Kind of artificial to me.
I just bought the xanthum gum and was looking for an ice cream maker- do you have one? have you found or tried many “healthy” ice cream recipes using the maker? I never think to look back. Here’s my email: tosha25italia@yahoo.com THanks! Natalie
hey heather!!
quick question – I only have guar gum, is that okay? should I just use the same amount of xanthum gum for guar gum? hope so because this looks fabulous
Kailey, Not sure. Never used just one gum. I’m afraid it will turn out kind of funky with any more than 1/2 tsp guar. Let me know if you try it.
so i tried the making this with just guar..yeah not too great, but not horrible. I finally broke my mom down and she bought me some xathan gum (we found it at a local health store so no shipping fee) and you were right – they both work GREAT together. I could not get over the volume!! genius heather
So glad you enjoyed Kailey, and now I know to tell people. Use them TOGETHER.
P.S. The xanthan will last you forever. Totally worth it!
Seriously AMAZING!!!!!!
OMG!! i am in love! I just made this and i was a bit skeptical at first. i paid 12 bucks for the xanthun and boy oh boy was it worth it. now i know what my new nightly treat will be
for about 200 calories i get about 2 cups of ice cream…that’s insane! i want to try it with coconut milk and stir in shredded coconut and dark chocolate! thanks for sharing!
Christina, So glad you enjoyed your ice-cream, and I think it would taste so good with coconut and dark chocolate. You really can’t ever go wrong with that combo.:)
Hi,
I just bought some guar gum the other ay and I have been searching high and low for a great recipe like this one!! I just have a question… I didn’t buy any xanthan gum, and I was wondering if there’s something else I can use instead, or if I should just substitute it with guar gum…
thank you!!!!!!!!
Natnat, I’ve always used the gums together, and without both, you won’t quite get the ice-cream effect. Also, I wouldn’t sub the guar gum as too much just makes a big bowl of goo. I would just skip the xanthan gum, and enjoy an extra thick smoothie.
Question..I use xanthax gum…but do you need to combine it with guar gum!? Thanks!
Katie, You won’t get the same fluffy “ice-cream” effect without both gums. In using the xanthan gum alone, you’ll just get a thick smoothie. You can read about both of the gums here: http://smoothiegirleatstoo.blogspot.com/2009/12/saturdaysunday-smoothie-guar-and.html
I just stumbled on your site………I was looking for ice cream recipes that had guar gum in them…..and found yours.
I couldn’t find the xanthan gum….so I just had to use the guar gum…..it is like a creamy shake. It also made a huge pile……I used one tray of ice cubes for it. I have two containers in the freezer to see what it will be like frozen.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe……
Debi, Glad you found me and happy to hear you enjoyed your ice-cream.
I think the recipe looks great, but it doesn’t actually list how much “almond butter” if any you use. Says to place in a “waning” almond butter jar. Surely there is almond butter in this ice cream! How much? Thanks!
Terri, No, I usually just use the almond butter as a topping. I’ve never blended it into the ice-cream, but I’m sure it would be delicious!
Is this still good without the cocoa? I hate chocolate (wierd I know…)
J, Yeah, I made vanilla this morning – just use vanilla protein powder and leave out the cocoa. Might want to add a few drops of vanilla or almond extract just for kicks. Or, you could add frozen berries or other fruit if you’re in a fruity mood. Enjoy!
Made this the other day and now I can’t stop playing with the 2 gums! thanks for the cool recipe and use
You’re welcome Hysterikal! I made some this morning using 1 cup chocolate almond milk, 1 packet hot chocolate mix, 1 banana, 2 TBSP peanut butter, 1/2 tsp guar gum, 1/4 tsp xanthan gum and lots of ice (17 cubes). So yummy!!!
I just christened my brand new Vita with a batch of protein ice cream… soooo much better than my attempts in my old blender! Creamy and delicious!
Kelly, so happy to hear!
Wow, this is perfect! Thanks for the recipe!
Sarah, You’re welcome. About to make a batch myself. Enjoy!
Oh, Heather. My attempts to make the ice cream this morning were truly the stuff of farce. I need to try again — I think using all xantham and no guar gum may have contributed to the soupy mess I got!
Gena, Yes, I know some other bloggers have had success with using just xanthan, but when I tried, it was so goopy. Nasty stuff. Guar makes all the difference. I just ordered a bag from http://www.iherb.com for $5, and it will easily last me 6+ months. Totally worth every penny! Hope your next batch is better.
How much does this serving make? I saw someone mentioned about 2 cups… is that correct? (I dont know if you have ever tried it but Arctic Zero makes WONDERFUL ice cream similar to this and I was wondering if they are comparable in serving sizes and stats because if so, this is so much cheaper!) Thanks
Raychel, So sorry I am just now responding to you – your email got lost in my spam folder. Yeah, this recipe makes a lot – never measured, but 2 cups is probably about right. I have seen Arctic Zero, and I didn’t have problems with whey protein, I would try it in a heartbeat. I believe my protein ice-cream is quite similar except I use rice protein powder sweetened with stevia. However, the calories are about the same.
Thank you so much, Heather! My mom and I are going to have to try your recipe!
Raychel, Enjoy, and let me know if you have any questions. Sometimes you have to play around with the gums. If your protein powder contains either of the gums, just use add less to your ice-cream.
Hi Heather – I love reading your blogs and your concoctions and am really interested in making your protein ice cream as described, BUT I am nursing and I read that xanthan and guar gum SHOULD NOT be consumed while nursing. And actually most advise not during pregnancy either so you should look into it. Do you plan on nursing and if so what is your solution to your protein ice cream to make it safe for nursing – I guess just leaving those things out? Thanks! You rock!
Larissa, I’ve read that really small amounts of the gums are fine during pregnancy, especially since they are both contained in a lot of foods already – coconut milk ice-cream, rice protein powders, etc. So, since I only use 1/3 to 1/2 tsp at a time, I wasn’t too concerned. I definitely plan to nurse, and so this is something I need to research a bit more. There are other ways to thicken the mix like agar agar and such. Guess I’ll just have to experiment…a girl needs her ice-cream!
ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh. This is BEYOND fabulous and amazingly healthy. Thanks for sharing!
Kristen, You’re welcome – glad you enjoyed!
randomly came over here today and didn’t realize you had a video up. GOSH you are adorable. how did i not know what you sounded like before? i love you and your cute accent and your pillow on your heablet. MWAH!
Thanks J. Bean! Isn’t it weird to finally hear the voices of other bloggers. I’m usually so surprised!
Hi there! Just found you from the fitnessista’s post. That looks delish…sign me up for anything that tastes like a Frosty and doesn’t have all the icky stuff in it! P.S. You have amazing hair
Haha – thanks Charlie! Glad you found me.
I am soooooooooooooooo happy I found you. Not only did I find this great blog and great recipe for protein ice cream, you helped me in discovering iherb.com which is going to be a HUGE life saver for me living here in South Korea. OMG! I am jumping up and down in my chair cause I’ll be able to order the gums and some whey protein (which is hard to find and usually triple the price) AND I haven’t tried them yet but I’ve been craving Cheezits and the Kashi Country Cheddar crackers look like they’ll do the job for me….all to be shipped for just an extra $10 !!!! I am smiling ear to ear. Thank you!
Sylvia, I’m so glad you found me too. Isn’t iherb the best?!? It has saved me so much money, and I’m so happy they ship internationally for such a great price. I can’t wait to hear what you think of the ice-cream, and yes, order the Kashi cheddar crackers. I was craving Cheezits like mad early in my pregnancy, and the Kashi crackers were perfect. Thanks for reading my blog, and I hope you have fun iherbing it!
I’m absolutely loving your blog!! <3
I've tried to find xanathen gum/guar gum here (japan) but it is nowhere to be found… do you know of anything that could be used as a substitute for this recipe? It looks soo good! =)
Fashioneatsa, Nothing will add more fluff than the gums. You can order them from http://www.iherb.com, and I think they only add an additional $10 for international shipping. Love that site, and I know several other international readers that order from their. Hope you’re able to enjoy some protein ice-cream soon!
@the♥fashioneatsa I ordered my gums from iHerb.com and I’m having them shipped here to South Korea for $4 extra. You can order a bunch of different stuff for a very cheap shipping price!!! I’m so glad Heather mentioned that place. First time customers can use this coupon code: BEV426 for $5 off their first order which worked for me.
Thanks Sylvia! I forwarded your comment to the Fashioneatsa to make sure she got it.
Heather, I’m sorry I didn’t even realize anything about the customer referral program with iHerb.com until now (just read about it on my account) OMG, I should’ve used your referral code when I signed up so you could reap the benefits of my purchases! Instead I just grabbed one from anywhere on google and even the one I posted above ^^ is the same one I used (it’s not even mine, haha). Darn it, I’m sorry!
Syliva, Oh gosh, I don’t care. Just happy you discovered them, and placed and order. I always forget to give out my referral code. I should do that in a post soon. Again, no worries, and enjoy your goodies!
*Sylvia – sorry, not spelling too well this morning!
Hehe, that’s ok!
Still I wish I had used your referral code cause I will probably be ordering from there quite often. Oh well.
But yes, you should mention your referral code anytime you mention iHerb cause that referral program is pretty awesome!
I can’t wait for my goodies so I can make the yummy protein ice cream!
Hi Heather!
I LOVE your blog. I don’t know if anyone has already asked you this, but could you just use ice cream stabilizer (combination of several gums including guar gum and xanthan) instead of using the two gums. I have been emailing back and forth with a supplier and she recommended this over the two gums for making ice cream. She said that the effects are that it enriches the texture, stabilizes the protein and decreases ice crystals. Have you heard of this?
Let me know!
Thanks!
HOLY YUM! Just made this… thanks for the recipe! It made sooo much, which I am fine with
Sarah, So glad you enjoyed.
That video is *the* cutest: the pillow made me laugh and laugh! I got both my guar and xantham at Whole Foods in West Vancouver–though I’m pretty sure I’ve gotten xantham cheaper at “lesser” grocery stores in the past!
So mine came out… texturally challenged. It was foamy. A lot slicker than yours… and it stuck together a lot in a way that sort of made me think of the movie “Alien”. I’d say it was less of a soft serve texture and, well, in spite of using your recipe and both gums, it was GOOPY. Still: tasty! But also a bit weird. Should I try decreasing or increasing my gums a bit? Thanks!!
S, Glad you enjoyed the video.
Does your protein powder contain either gum? If so, I would use a bit less…even if it doesn’t, sounds like you might need a little less anyway. Eating alien goop doesn’t sound too great, even if it was tasty. Hope this helps, and please let me know if you have any other questions. Better luck next batch!
Hi Heather! I tried the recipe and I have another `issue` for you: mine comes out a bit too creamy, the texture resembles more of mousse or pudding. Do you think adding more icecream would help, or using less guar? In grams, how much ice do you add? Thanks in advance for helping me out, and maybe take a quick peek at my blog too?
Sabine @ thefruitpersuit
Sabine, Does your protein powder contain either gum – if so, you made need to use less. I’m thinking you’re right – if it was extra creamy, I’d cut back on the guar a bit. Just measured my ice cube for ya – it’s 225 grams worth. Hope this helps!
Hey Heather.
So I finally tried to make this recipe because it looked so good. I followed your recipe exactly (only difference was that I used a regular blender because I don’t have a vitamix), however it did not come out right- it was very liquidy. Will it only work with a vitamix? (They’re so expensive-that’s why we haven’t gotten one yet. What about a Magic Bullet?)
Raychel, So sorry the protein ice-cream didn’t work. I have never had luck making it my Magic Bullet, but I think it’s b/c I try making too much at once. Other bloggers have had made it work. Try making 1/4 to 1/2 of the recipe. I just can’t ever get all the ice to blend in my Bullet. Good luck, and I hope it works for you!
@Raychel – I too followed the recipe and mine did not come out the same consistency as Heather’s either. I think the vitamix really makes the difference because I used a magic bullet knock off and mine came out more liquidy as well.
The only way to make it close to the same consistency is to add a frozen banana and then stick the blended mix in the freezer for 1/2 an hour to an hour. At least that’s what worked for me
Thanks Sylvia. I’ll forward your comment onto to Raychel to make sure she sees it, and so happy to hear you found a method that works!
Hi Heather thank you for your reply! I think I indeed used way less ice, will weigh it out tonight, and my powder indeed contains two gums. Trialrun 2 tonight, will let you know how it went!
love, sabine
Hey Heather, I tried making 1/2 the recipe and a little over half of the ice (150gr). I also added less guar but more xanthan to try and thicken it. it tastes very good, but despite the efforts it didnt get much thicker
Sabine, So sorry…but at least it tasted good!
Do you know what the nutrition info is on the protein icecream? Thank you and I love your blog i look forward to it everyday!!
Kate, Well, if you use 1 cup of vanilla unsweetened almond milk, 30 grams of protein powder (I use Jay Robb rice), 1 TBSP cocoa powder, and the gums, the stats are as follows
Calories: 168 calories Fat: 4 grams Carbs: 11 grams Sugars: 0 grams Fiber: 7 grams Protein: 26 grams
Not bad at all considering the recipe makes a ton! Enjoy.
I finally got all the ingredients to make this and it tastes yummy, but came out with jello texture (wiggling, kinda gross)–which do I need to use more or less of?
Amanda, Check and see if your protein powder contains either gum, and if so, use less of that particular one. However, sounds like you need less guar to me. Just keep playing around with it. Hopefully, your next batch will turn out better, but at least the first one tasted good.
WOW! can’t wait to try this out
heading out on errands now and added the gums to my list of stuff to pick up at the local health food store!
Jen,
Enjoy – it’s one of my favorite recipes. I can find the xanthan gum at Kroger, a grocery store chain in Nashville, and most health food stores carry it as well. However, I can never find guar gum anywhere and usually order it online at http://www.iherb.com. Hope you were able to find both!
I was in luck!! The HFS had the xanthan gum in their bulk spice/herb section and their sister store in the next town over had the guar gum (which they will have at my store today ready to pick up) Plus getting it in the bulk section I got a really good price. Looking forward to making this today!
Jen,
Oh good. Enjoy!
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